


one look, dark room (meant just for you)

by somniums



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Based on a Taylor Swift Song, F/F, First Love, Fluff, Mutual Pining, inspired by reply 1988, side sudong, squint for 2yoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26333278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somniums/pseuds/somniums
Summary: “Let me introduce myself properly,” Minji starts, “I’m Kim Minji. My favorite color is pink. I like flowers and hate storms,” she glances up at Siyeon, smiles, “Your turn.”orThe year is 1989. Lee Siyeon is ready to move to Ssangmun-dong, make new friends and enjoy her senior year to the fullest. But nothing in the world could have prepared her for Kim Minji.
Relationships: Kim Minji | JiU/Lee Siyeon
Comments: 22
Kudos: 72
Collections: DreamCatcher Taylor Swift Ficfest 2k20





	1. no proof, one touch, but you saw enough

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! Here's my second Singji fic, written for the Dreamcatcher Taylor Swift themed fic fest!
> 
> This work is heavily inspired by Reply 1988 and has a lot of references to old Korean songs. I'll link all of them + the scenes + the other stuff that inspired me the most in the final notes of the second chapter!
> 
> You Are In Love is one of my favorite Taylor songs of all time and I hope I gave it some justice. I hope you guys enjoy it! ♡

**1988**

Siyeon is curled up under the covers, the precious _Mymy_ she got for Christmas lying beside her as she listens to _Lee Moon Sae’s Starry Night_ , her favorite late night radio show. It’s not every day that she gets to chill in her bedroom and listen to great music without having to worry about grades, college entrance exams, part-time jobs and how uncertain her life is at the moment. And when she refers to her life in the next year as uncertain, she means it. _Hell_ , she has no idea if this house will still be up to protect her from the piercing wind next winter. 

But, even though Siyeon feels a little selfish and rebellious for it, she allows herself to be a normal seventeen year old for a fleeting moment. For one night, she’ll close her eyes and rest, melting over the softness of her mattress as _To You_ plays in the background. For one night, she’ll put on a spacesuit and fly to the moon, refusing to come back down until she explores every single part of it. 

“That was _To You_ , the winner song at _Korean University Song Contest of 1988_ ,” Lee Moon Sae starts when the song comes to an end, “Now, I have exciting news!”

Siyeon cracks one eye open at that, paying close attention to the old radio sitting on the wooden floor of her bedroom. She could use some good news for a change. 

There’s a familiar sound of papers being spread on a table before the man clears his throat and continues, “A meteor will be paying us a visit tomorrow, and astronomers say it may end up ranking as one of the brightest meteors seen in our skies in more than three decades! Awesome, right?”

Siyeon nearly breaks a bone with how ungracefully she brings her body up into a sitting position, scratching the drowsiness out of her exhausted eyes as her heart’s pace quickens inside of her chest. _So much for a calm night, huh_ , she laughs at her own nonsense, clutches the previously forgotten _Mymy_ to her chest in an attempt to calm down her nerves, then concentrates on Lee Moon Sae’s voice again. 

“Go outside and look up at the sky at _8PM_ if you want to see the meteor,” he pauses for a second, “But don’t forget to protect yourselves with warm clothes, understood?” Then he completes in a cheery, positive tone, “Let’s not be sick this winter, dear listeners!”

By the time the host is done with his monologue, Siyeon is already looking through her closet for her diary, the one she hasn’t touched in over a year. An excited yelp escapes from her lips when she holds the black object in her hands, cold fingers examining the cover as if it was made of gold — it sort of does, if you ask Siyeon.

Siyeon flops down on her bed again, turns on the night lamp and successfully unlocks the diary with the little silver key she was lucky enough to find along with the object. She can’t help but to giggle when her eyes scan some of the first pages — there’s endless entries about some boy she _most definitely_ didn’t have a crush on but pretended she did just to feel like the other girls from her class. Then, a few pages and thousands of frustrated rants later, reality hits twelve years old Siyeon on the face and she learns that the last thing she wanted was to be like them — she wanted to hold their hands, make them laugh with her childish jokes and pepper kisses all over their pretty faces when no one was looking. 

It takes ten minutes for Siyeon to find what she was looking for — the page where she wrote down the special words her deceased grandmother told her years ago, when she was fourteen and stressed about the exam she had the next day. 

_(“Siyeon-ah,” the old lady called gently, caressing her granddaughter’s long hair in an attempt to bring her some very much needed peace of mind, “Did you know that a shooting star can grant you three wishes?”_

_Siyeon turns around, flashes her grandmother a tired but sincere smile, “Really, grandma?”_

_“Yes, dear,” the woman laughs at the student’s expression, “But you have to be passionate and sure about your choices — you must really, really crave what you wish for, or else it won’t come true.”_

_Siyeon remains silent for a moment, deep in thought. The image of her, her parents and her grandma living in a good house flashes through her mind. Her lips curl up, delighted by the idea of spending the rest of her teenage years in a nice, calm neighborhood. Then she thinks about a puppy running around the same house, and she closes her hands into fists because she wants a tiny, fluffy friend so bad that it hurts._

_She fails to think about a third wish, though. But it’s okay. It’s not like there will be a shooting star flashing through the sky tomorrow. She has plenty of time to think of what is the last thing she wants._

_“I think I already know what I want, grandma!” Siyeon smiles at the woman who was taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm in her voice, “Not everything, but it’s a start!”)_

Siyeon giggles quietly at the memory, heart aching because _oh_ , how much she misses the _one_ person that always knew how to lift up her mood, no matter how distressed she was. “It’s time to make those wishes, grandma,” Siyeon whispers, eyes glued on the window, mind drifting away to an unknown galaxy as she admires the night sky. 

  
  


_(It’s exactly 8PM when the meteor cuts through the dark sky the next day. Siyeon closes her eyes, clasps her hands under her chin and wishes for her parents to find a good job, a cute dog to take care of and someone who understands.)_

  
  


It’s December 31st when Siyeon’s parents get home with huge smiles on their faces, holding two bags filled with _Bungeoppangs_ under their arms. 

The scene confuses the girl at first — she even considers the possibility of the adults being drunk for a second, but when they pull her into a tight hug and tell her they got a job offer in Seoul, everything starts falling into place. 

  
  


**1989**

The sun is out, but it’s still cold when Siyeon arrives in _Ssangmun-dong_. 

She scratches her eyes, trying to adjust to the clarity after sleeping soundly for three hours. _Here we are_ , she thinks as she peeks out of the window, adrenaline pumping through her veins while she eagerly takes every piece of her new neighborhood in — the place she will be calling _home_ from now on.

Siyeon’s mom opens the door of the car for her, stretching out a hand for her daughter to take. Siyeon smiles at the gesture, grabs her _Mymy_ and takes her mother’s hand as she exits the vehicle, straightening her black and white striped shirt once her feet touch the ground. 

She’s ready to help her parents carry their baggage when her ears tingle with the sound of hushed whispers and quiet steps, and that’s when she realizes there are about twelve different people standing in front of their house, staring at her family with expectant, curious eyes. Siyeon has no idea how to react to the unusual scene, so she just stares back, arching one eyebrow in defiance.

That’s when the group of people come to their senses and one of the ladies take a step ahead, putting on her best smile before she starts, “Sorry, it’s been years since we got a new neighbor so we’re all very excited,” she laughs, scratches her neck, “Welcome to Ssangmun-dong!”

Siyeon’s parents easily engage in a cheerful conversation with their new neighbors after that. They introduce themselves, their only daughter and explain what took them all the way to Seoul. They even get invited for dinner by the sweet family that lives right across from them, and it feels so nice and healing to finally be part of _something_ that it brings happy tears to the corners of Siyeon’s eyes.

As they finally enter their new home, start unpacking and the rest of their first afternoon in Seoul passes by, Siyeon quietly observes how excited her parents are about the unexpected dinner invitation. She would make fun of the adults if she wasn’t feeling the same way — she was so thrilled about the idea of having dinner in someone else’s house that she was all dressed up and ready to go two hours prior to the agreed time. 

Her guts were telling her— _no_ , they were screaming into her face that that would be an unforgettable evening, that she should brace herself for what was about to come because it would change her life forever. And if there was something Siyeon learnt after leaning on her guts for seventeen years, is that they were rarely ever wrong.

—

“Oh, you guys are here!” the woman beams as she makes way for Siyeon’s family, “Come in, my wife is almost done with the side dishes.”

The woman in the kitchen puts down a knife to wave, an welcoming smile blooming on her lips, “Make yourselves at home,” then she pauses, looks at Siyeon and offers her a fond look, “My girls will be here at any minute, they’ll make you company.”

Siyeon nods, bows and puts her best smile on, hoping it isn’t obvious how much the idea of making new friends excites her. 

Siyeon never had friends. Of course, she attended a pajama party or two in middle school, went to a party or two in her first years of high school, but she never really felt like she truly _belonged_ to any of those social groups, never felt like those girls she hung out with genuinely cared about her and liked her for who she was. When Siyeon thinks of friends, _real_ friends, she thinks of people who will always be there for you, taking care of you and making you smile, no matter how hard or depressing life gets. 

Siyeon hopes, from the depths of her heart, that she can find people like that in Ssangmun-dong. _She’s not asking for much, right?_

Her thoughts are interrupted by a loud thud coming from outside, making her jump on her sit. Siyeon doesn’t have much time to wonder about what that sound could’ve been, though, because the door clicks open and the air is knocked out of her lungs, the world around her coming to a halt. There stands the prettiest girl Siyeon has ever seen in her seventeen years of life, bending down to remove her sneakers and sliding her feet into a pair of comfortable pink slippers before she enters the living room.

“We’re home!” The girl announces, and Siyeon thinks it’s unfair how even her voice is breathtaking.

“Minji, Gahyeon!” The woman who was in a cheerful conversation with Siyeon’s parents waves at the two girls, urging them closer, “These are our new neighbors!”

The sisters bow at the same time, offering the adults polite smiles. Siyeon can feel her hands clamping in anticipation for what’s coming next.

“And this is their lovely daughter, Siyeon!”

The girls bow again, faster this time, and Siyeon does the same. But, in the moment they lift their heads and Siyeon locks her eyes on Minji’s for the first time, there's an unstoppable wave of electricity that runs through her spine and spreads into her veins, tingling her skin and messing with her chest until it washes over the rest of her body, leaving her feeling tired, breathless yet alive, somehow. The situation only gets worse when the girl smiles at her, looks down, and bites her lips before she takes a seat beside her younger sister. 

_What the hell was that?_ Siyeon asks herself, blinks a couple of times, tries to focus on reality again. _The dinner, Siyeon. The dinner._

Before she knows, the dishes are on the table and everyone is grabbing their chopsticks, with her mother sliding a bowl of rice in front of her face in an attempt to bring her daughter back to life. Siyeon can tell that there’s someone at the table watching the scene. She doesn’t have the guts to check who, though — she might choke on the food if she finds Minji staring back at her with those adorable crescent moons again, and that would make a terrible first impression. 

The conversation flows between the adults as they eat, with the teenagers nodding along and making small comments whenever their names are mentioned. The topics vary between their jobs, their children’s personalities and the hottest places to visit in their neighborhood — which aren’t many, nor do they seem too fancy, but are enough. When the topic of their chat becomes the new Brazilian food restaurant by the end of the street, Siyeon commits the mistake of raising her eyes from her bowl for a second too long, blushing when she catches a glimpse of Minji’s grin and casts her head down again, wishing she wasn’t so damn awkward in front of pretty girls. Then there’s a teasing laugh, a grunt, and a pained _ouch, unnie!_ that goes unnoticed by their parents, but makes Siyeon hold back a giggle. _Must be fun to have a sibling_ , Siyeon ponders, and continues munching on her _tteokbokki_.

Siyeon offers to wash the dishes once they’re done eating, which the couple kindly brushes it off, rushing her towards their older daughter because _you two are the same age, go outside and play, you’ll get along just fine,_ and well, there isn’t much Siyeon can do about it. Even though she’s trembling like a leaf when Minji takes her hand and leads her to the terrace of their house.

Siyeon was excited and prepared to make new friends, not to have the _prettiest girl in the entire world_ holding her hand.

“Let me introduce myself properly,” Minji starts, taking a seat on one of the chairs spreaded around the place, “I’m Kim Minji. My favorite color is pink. I like flowers and hate storms,” Minji glances up at Siyeon, smiles, “Your turn.”

Siyeon blinks, fidgeting with the tip of her hoodie as she tries to calm herself under Minji’s tender gaze. “Uh, okay,” Siyeon clears her throat, “I’m Lee Siyeon. My favorite color is blue. I like music and hate loud places.”

“That’s a nice start.” Minji’s smile grows, and there’s a fleeting silence between them before Minji decides to break it, “You’re attending _Ssangmun Girl’s High_ too, right?” Siyeon nods quietly, avoiding her eyes. Minji cracks a smile again. “I hope all of us get to stay in the same class.”

Siyeon frowns, “All of us?”

“Oh, right,” Minji chuckles, “I mean you, me and the rest of my friends. They all live here, too. You’ll see them around eventually—”

Minji’s words die on her tongue when two girls — _with a clear height difference between them_ — push the blue gates of her house open, making Siyeon jump in surprise. 

“We heard your moms made tteokbokki,” The _small-yet-confident_ looking one smirks as she starts making her way towards the stairs, the other girl following closely behind, “There’s no way we would miss— Oh, hi!” She’s taken aback by the presence of another person, but stretches out a hand to Siyeon nonetheless, offering her a curious look before she asks, “Who are you?”

“I’m Siyeon, Lee Siyeon,” her lips curl up as she takes the girl’s tiny hand, shaking it gently, “I moved in today.”

Siyeon notices how composed she is around the new girl, a harsh contrast from how awkward and nervous she was with Minji moments ago. She can’t help but to cringe inside, hyperaware of how ridiculously she’s acting. She feels a pang of guilt in her chest, too, but decides to pretend it’s not there.

“Oh, right!” The tall one snaps her fingers, comes closer and engulfs Siyeon in an unexpected hug, interrupting her intrusive thoughts, “I’m Kim Yoohyeon, and the gremlin is Kim Bora.”

“Gremlin my _ass—_ “ Bora cuts herself before she makes a scene in front of the new girl, takes a deep breath and clears her throat, “Let go of her, you weirdo. You literally just met her.”

Yoohyeon whines and pouts, flashing Siyeon an apologetic smile before slowly freeing her from the sudden embrace. “Sorry. I just love making new friends.”

“It’s okay,” Siyeon giggles, playing quietly with her nails as waves of contentment crash through her. She’ll definitely become fond of the two girls in the future, and the thought of getting to know more about them is enough to thrill her — to make her crave for what this new, exciting life in a big city reserved for her.

“Tell me, Siyeon,” Bora starts, resting her back against the railing, “Want to kill some time with us tomorrow?”

Siyeon blinks, looks at Minji who offers her an encouraging smile, then nods. “Sure. Where?”

“Right there,” Bora points to the biggest house in their street, a smug grin blooming on the corner of her lips, “It’s my girlfriend’s house.”

“Handong’s bedroom is kind of our official meeting place,” Yoohyeon explains to a dumbfounded Siyeon, “It’s huge and she _always_ has the newest movies.”

“Sounds cool,” Siyeon says, still trying to process all the new information, “I’ll be there.”

“Okay!” Bora claps excitedly, gives Siyeon a light pat on the shoulders and moves to the stairs, “Now, if you’ll excuse me,” she makes a show of clearing her throat before she shrieks, “Aunties, I’m hungry!”

“Me too, aunties!” Yoohyeon follows, not even half as loud as Bora, turning around to wave goodbye to Minji and Siyeon before she walks down the stairs, jumping like a child as they sneak their ways into the house.

Minji lets out a sigh of relief once she makes sure the other two are inside, turning to Siyeon as a sheepish smile plays on her lips, “At least now you’ve already met half of my friends?”

Siyeon tries to hold it in, but ends up giggling behind her fist at how mortified Minji looks. _It’s cute_. “They seem interesting.”

Minji can’t help but to giggle, too. “Oh, you have no idea.”

—

“ _Don’t stay out too late!_ ”

A laugh, “I’ll be back before dinner, mom!” and Siyeon is out of the house, dressed in her favorite blue trench coat and black pants, a bag full of chocolate bars safe under her arms. Or at least that’s what Siyeon thought, because the moment she turns around and finds Minji standing in front of her house in all her glory, the candies slip from her grip and crash against the slippery ground. _Great_ , she winces, _you sure know how to control your nerves, Lee Siyeon_.

Siyeon bends down to collect the chocolates, but Minji is faster. The girl grabs all the packages, cleans the snow off of each one with the hem of her pink sweater and slips them back into Siyeon’s bag. “There,” Minji smiles, and the proximity between their faces makes Siyeon dizzy, “Be more careful next time, okay?”

Siyeon nods, thankful that the blush on her face can be disguised as a consequence of the cold weather. Minji gets up first, brushes her clothed knees and offers Siyeon a hand. Siyeon stares, blinks twice, and gathers the courage she needs to accept the help. Minji’s lips curl up again, the corner of her eyes sparkling as she takes the lead, not once letting go of Siyeon’s hand. Siyeon wonders how is it possible for someone to smile so much, to do it so gracefully every single time.

Siyeon tries to mask her disappointment when Minji breaks the contact between their hands to open the gates of Handong’s house, making room for Siyeon to get in first. Siyeon obeys, slips through the iron gates and, once she’s in, she can’t help but to scan the place in awe. 

Minji notices, stops beside Siyeon and admires the house too, like she hasn’t been there countless times before. “Cool, right?”

Siyeon nods, _again_ , and that’s when she realizes she hasn’t spoken a single word to Minji yet. The pang of guilt from last night returns, stronger this time. _Do you want her to think you hate her, Lee Siyeon? Wake up! Say something!_ “S-Should we get in?” Siyeon croaks out, and if Minji wasn’t right beside her she would definitely hit her head against the wall a thousand times. _Now you’re stuttering, really?_

“Sure,” Minji giggles, and Siyeon wants to die because the girl _definitely_ noticed how nervous she is. “Dong-ah, we’re here!” She announces, closing the door behind them and leading Siyeon upstairs.

“Hey,” Handong smiles and Siyeon wonders how can everyone in _Ssangmun-dong_ look so good, “We were just talking about you.”

“Really?” Minji says, amused, “What exactly?”

“Nothing important!” Yoohyeon says, wearing the fakest smile Siyeon has ever seen and slapping Gahyeon’s arm when the girl tries to interrupt her, putting all of her attention on Siyeon. Her lips soften, “Siyeon, hi! I’m glad you came!”

Siyeon says hi back, then a girl who was lying on Handong’s puts down the manga she was immersed in, finally acknowledging the presence of a new face at their meeting place. She smiles without showing her teeth, “Hi, I’m Lee Yubin.”

“And I’m Han Dong,” the owner of the bedroom speaks up, beaming, “Welcome to the club!”

Bora gives her a thumbs up and turns the radio on. _Everyday With You_ starts playing. Siyeon feels at home already.  
  


“... And that’s how I almost murdered a senior.”

“Still can’t believe that asshole _dared_ to hit on Handong,” Yoohyeon growls, brows furrowed, “You should’ve killed him, Bora.”

“I would crack his head open if I could,” Bora closes her fists at the unpleasant memory, “But I was worried about Handong. I needed to make sure she was okay first.”

That’s already the eleventh story of the afternoon. Bora calls the act of sitting in a circle while sharing everything from their greatest to their most embarrassing stories “ _Siyeon’s starting ritual_ ”. It’s hard to admit that to herself, but Siyeon kind of loves the name.

Siyeon has heard all about Handong’s and Bora’s two years old relationship, Gahyeon’s rebellious acts at school, Yubin’s multiple writing awards and Yoohyeon’s scientific experiments — which are mostly genius, but other times not so much.

Minji doesn’t share much. Siyeon can’t help but to wonder why. 

_(Wonders if it’s her fault, pretends the mere possibility of her being right doesn’t sting.)_

—

Two weeks fade away in the blink of an eye. 

Siyeon spends most of her time in Handong’s room with the _gang_ , only leaving when it’s late at night and their mothers’ voices start echoing through the quiet street, ordering the girls to come back home and sleep. 

Her new friends are nice and kind and lovely. Chaotic, too, and Siyeon is slowly starting to become like them. 

_(“Hey, Siyeon,” Yoohyeon approaches her one day, “Wanna see how fast I can chug this can of soda?”_

_“Uh,” Siyeon blinks, hesitates for a second, “Sure?”_

_“This unnie chokes and nearly dies every single time she tries,” Gahyeon chimes in, glaring at an offended Yoohyeon, “I can do it faster.”_

_Yoohyeon scoffs, lifting the can to her lips as determination shines in her eyes, “Bring it on, infant.”_

_Yoohyeon loses to Gahyeon at the end. Siyeon decides to give the infamous challenge a try. She has to go home and change into clean clothes right after she’s done.)_

Minji stays the same, not talking much. Siyeon decides to stop worrying about it — no one else seems to have noticed a difference, none of the girls have said a word about Minji’s quietness, so that’s probably how Minji is around her closest friends: calm, reserved, a shoulder for them to lean on.

Siyeon doesn’t know why the other girl becomes so talkative whenever the two of them are alone. _That must be her way to welcome someone new in her life, an effort to make them feel comfortable and accepted, right?_

_(“Minji unnie is the kindest in our group,” Yubin tells her one day while they’re outside munching on ice cream in the middle of winter, “She’s always taking care of us,” she pauses, giggles, then continues, “But I think she has a soft spot for you.”_

_“A soft spot?” Siyeon asks in a quiet, hopeful voice. “For me?”_

_“Mhm,” Yubin nods. “She used to arrive with Gahyeon every day. Now she always waits so she can come with you.”_

_Siyeon’s heart soars.)_

If that’s Minji’s intention, Siyeon thinks she’s doing a great job at it.

—

It’s the last day of winter break and the girls are scattered on the floor of Handong’s room, whining about the end of their freedom and dreading the start of a new school year. 

“I can’t believe I’m a senior now,” Bora cries, hides her face in her palms and mumbles, “I don’t even know what I want to do after school ends. I’m so fucked.”

Handong drags Bora’s hands to the side and places a kiss on her cheeks, “It’s okay. You’ll figure it out.”

Siyeon has no idea of what she’ll do, too, but unlike her friends, she’s not afraid. Of course, her shoulders are heavy with responsibility because now she’s a senior and things are inevitably going to change, but the thought of attending school with her new friends makes her way too giddy to care. 

She’ll _cry_ and _panic_ and _lose her mind_ later, for sure. But right now she’s too busy thinking about the _japchae_ she’s going to share with the girls tomorrow at lunch to do any of that.

“Okay, enough sadness,” Bora suddenly says, clapping her hands as she pushes herself up into a sitting position, pressing play on Handong’s radio, “Come on, Minji. Let’s show them our dance.”

Minji groans. “No, Bora, I—“

“No buts, Kim Minji” Bora warns as she gets up, “Get over here or I’ll smack your ass.”

Minji is pretty hesitant at first. Which is funny, because by the end of the song she’s spinning around the room with Bora, laughing her heart out while Yubin captures the carefree moment with her newest polaroid camera.

_(Siyeon takes one picture in her mind, too, saves it in the little golden box where she keeps her fondest memories.)_

“If we change some parts this could be a really good choreography,” Yoohyeon starts once the laughter dies down, “You could even use it for a competition, Bora.”

Bora smirks, and Siyeon can see the gears inside of her brain turning in full speed, “You might be right about something for once in your life, Yoohyeon.”

Yoohyeon beams, proud of herself. Then she realizes that Bora lowkey insulted her, and hell breaks loose.

Handong sighs tiredly, “Just another normal night.”

  
  


Minji accompanies Siyeon home later, like she does every day even though it’s a one minute walk from Handong’s house. Minji tells Gahyeon to go and get in first. The younger girl shrugs and obeys, announcing how hungry she is to her mothers as soon as she pushes the gates open.

Minji rolls her eyes at her sister, then turns to Siyeon with a gentle smile, “What time are you leaving for school tomorrow?”

Siyeon presses her lips into a thin line, pondering for a while. “Around six, I think?”

“Good,” Minji nods, smiles again, “I’ll be waiting for you.”

“You don’t have to—“

“I _want_ to,” Minji interrupts Siyeon, takes both of her hands, “What kind of friend would I be if I let you take the bus by yourself on your first day?”

Siyeon melts into a puddle of warmth and softness. She can’t say no to Minji, not when she’s staring back at her with the most adorable _puppy eyes_ she’s ever seen. _Why are you so weak for this girl, Lee Siyeon?_ “Okay, you win.”

Minji beams, a cute yelp falling from her mouth as she claps, “Great! See you tomorrow, Singnie.”

 _Singnie_. Siyeon’s face reddens at the new nickname, at how naturally it flows out of Minji’s lips. 

At how much she likes it.

“See you tomorrow, Minji.”

—

“Have fun on your first day, baby! I love you!”

Siyeon straightens her skirt as she bursts out the door, tripping over her own feet and nearly falling from the short flight of stairs. She clutches her chest and sighs, relieved that the chocolate milk didn’t slip from her grip and stain her uniform. “I love you too, mom!” She remembers saying it back, then she’s finally out. 

Minji is already waiting for her in front of the gates, strawberry milk in one hand and a bag full of cinnamon cookies in the other. She looks mesmerizing in their school uniform. Siyeon swoons.

“Good morning,” Minji says, eyes crinkling as she lifts the bag, “I got these for you but I’m not sure if you like cinnamon,” she scratches her neck, “It’s totally cool if you don’t—”

“I love it,” Siyeon answers truthfully, but she knows she would eat the entire bag of cookies even if it was her least favorite flavor in the whole world — because Minji is the one who got it for her and there’s a huge chance Siyeon is _absolutely whipped_. She grins as she takes the bag from Minji’s hand, shivers when their fingers brush. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me.” Minji brushes it off, intertwining their arms as they start walking to the bus stop. 

_She has a soft spot for you_ , Yubin’s words echo through her mind, and Siyeon tries so hard not to hope for something she doesn’t even know what it means but fails.

  
  
  


Minji protects Siyeon on the bus.

She stands behind Siyeon and places a hand on the window, creating a barrier between the girl and the stinky school boys making a fuss on the crowded transport.

Minji folds the sleeve of her uniform, puts her hand back on the window and Siyeon can’t help but to stare. 

Her mouth goes dry. She failed again.

  
  


“We’re in the same class!”

Bora’s shrieks cuts through the corridor of sleepy students. She receives some glares for that, but she doesn’t care. None of them do, actually. They’re so relieved to be in the same class for their senior year that they could cry.

“And I’m in the same class as Yubin!” Yoohyeon celebrates, hugs a half-awake Yubin who sinks into her arms with a content grin.

“Make sure Yoohyeonie pays attention to class,” Minji nudges Yubin and the girl laughs. Yoohyeon, on the other hand, mumbles a _I pay attention to class_ and crosses her arms like an annoyed child. 

The bell rings. Yoohyeon and Yubin gather with the juniors while the rest of the group runs to their class on the third floor. 

The teacher arrives a second after they fall on their seats. Siyeon releases the breath she didn’t even know she was holding, melting into her chair. Minji giggles at the scene, caresses her back and focuses on the man rambling about something Siyeon doesn’t catch because she’s too busy staring at Minji and admiring how the way the sunlight kisses her skin makes her look like a holy being and—

“We have a new student with us this year,” Siyeon turns her head in the teacher’s direction in such an ungracious manner that she can hear her neck crack. Then the pain kicks in, accompanied by shame. _Oh no._ “Lee Siyeon, please come to the front and introduce yourself to your classmates.”

“Go!” Minji urges her forward, smiling gently. Bora, who was sitting behind them with Handong by her side, gives Siyeon a supportive pat on the shoulders. Handong puts her thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear.

Siyeon watches their expressions with fondness, remembering she’s no longer alone, that they got her back. The thought fills her with confidence, so she marches to the front, puts on her best smile and introduces herself to a bunch of bored seniors.

“Hi! I’m Lee Siyeon and I came from Daegu,” She starts, a little shaky. Siyeon finds Minji’s eyes in the sea of uninterested girls, beams when the girl waves at her, then continues, “My favorite color is blue. I like music and hate loud places. Thank you.”

Minji can’t help but to giggle behind her hands at the memory, shaking her head at Siyeon’s antics. Bora and Handong share a puzzled look between them, staring at the two girls like they’ve grown a second head. Siyeon laughs too, loving the idea of having a little secret with Minji, something only the two of them can understand.

Siyeon goes back to her seat and class starts. Turns out the middle aged man is a math teacher, Siyeon’s least favorite subject. She spends those hours watching Minji scribble on her notebook and forgets to pay attention to the draining lecture.

  
  


She’s not sure how she fell asleep, but the first thing she sees once she wakes up is Minji, left hand protecting Siyeon’s face from the sun while the right one writes something down on her notebook. Minji’s brows are furrowed, tongue poking out of her lips in concentration, and Siyeon swears a sight has never made her heart beat as fast as the one playing out in front of her eyes. 

Siyeon grabs Minji’s hand gently, putting it down. Minji jumps on her chair, eyes wide at the sudden touch, “ _Oh my_ — Siyeon!”

Siyeon laughs heartily at the accidental scare, wipes a tear from her eye, “I’m sorry.”

Minji glares at her, then she gives up and chuckles, gaze softening. “I hope the nap was good.”

“It was, thanks to you,” Siyeon takes Minji’s hand, caressing the skin tenderly with the tip of her fingers. Minji lets her, watching the girl with an amused look. “Does it hurt? Your arm, I mean.”

“Not at all,” Minji smiles, closing her notebook and shoving it under her desk. “Hungry?”

“Very,” Siyeon groans, grabs the pot full of the _japchae_ her father prepared last night from her backpack, wiggles it and smirks, “Come on, I want to share this baby with the girls.”

They dart to the cafeteria hand in hand, their steps and laughs echoing through each corner of the empty corridors, painting their dull white walls with the brightest of colors. 

Yubin flashes Siyeon a knowing smile as soon as they arrive, making her blush and feel the urge to dig a whole on the floor and bury her head in it. Her situation gets impossibly worse when she learns Minji lied about her arm minutes ago.

_(“The choreography will be bomb!” Bora claps her hands excitedly, turns to the girl sitting on the other side of the table with a smile, “We’re so winning this thing, Minji.”_

_Minji doesn’t answer, too busy massaging her own arm to pay attention to whatever Bora is saying. Siyeon connects the dots. Her stomach flutters at the same time it sinks._

_“Minji.”_

_Still no answer._

_“Minji.”_

_Bora tries again. Nothing._

_“Kim Minji, you fucking asshole!”_

_Minji jumps, bewildered by the outburst. “What?”)_

Siyeon makes sure to give Minji’s arm a massage once they return to class, thumbs pressing firmly against her sore muscles, caressing the reddened skin from time to time to soothe the pain. Minji does nothing but to stare, face twisting in discomfort every once in a while, but it never takes too long for her signature _sunshine smile_ to make its way back to her lips again.

Minji keeps staring after Siyeon is done, resting her chin over her palm and tilting her head to the side. Siyeon finds the attention overwhelming, can’t stand the way the sun hits Minji’s eyes and makes them sparkle like diamonds, so she sinks into her chair before she blurts out, “What?”

Minji’s bites her lips, holding back a giggle. “Nothing.”

Bora watches the scene unfold with a frown on her face, jaw mopping the floor. Handong rolls her eyes and brings her girlfriend’s chin up with one finger. “What if a bug comes in?” Handong justifies when Bora glances at her weirdly, shrugs, then snuggles back into her embrace. 

_(“Minji slaps me every time I dare touching her,” Bora starts when they sneak into the bathroom between classes, resting her back against the sink, “But when you do she gets all smiley and giddy. It’s so weird.”_

_Siyeon doesn’t say anything, keeps washing her hands as she pretends Bora’s observation didn’t make her heart skip a beat or two._

_“What I’m trying to say is that I think she really likes you, Siyeonie” Bora smiles softly and Siyeon closes her fists. Don’t blush, don’t blush, don’t blush, “It’s been what? Two weeks since you moved? And she’s already so fond of you— not that we aren’t, too! Don’t get me wrong, we would die for you in a heartbeat already, but_ — _Ugh, you know what I mean. It’s different with Minji.”_

_No, I don’t know what it means, it’s what Siyeon wants to say, but she has no strength to do so. Bora flashes her one last smile, pats her on the back and leaves the bathroom, leaving a lightheaded Siyeon behind._

_“Minji is all grown up now, that brat,” Siyeon hears Bora murmur to herself before the door closes._

_Siyeon groans, fills her hand with water and splashes it all over her face multiple times. Her friends and the poorly timed bombs they keep dropping on her lap are going to be the death of her someday.)_

Siyeon doesn’t pay attention to class. _Again_.

—

Siyeon’s first week at school is filled with _interesting_ events, for lack of a better word.

She gets scolded by multiple teachers for the little _problem_ she has with focusing on their classes. Minji comforts her each time like the angel she is, but it only makes her situation impossibly harder. There’s their first PE class of the year, too. Siyeon does horribly because she’s the least athletic person on the planet, which leaves her no choice but to deal with miss _good at everything_ Kim Bora making fun of the sloppy way she runs for the rest of the day.

But not everything was awful, no. Not when she had Minji by her side. And everyone else, too. But especially Minji. 

Siyeon wonders when she’ll get used to Minji waiting for her by the gates of her house, taking care of her on the bus and protecting her face from the sun. Wonders if there’ll be a day where the way Minji’s eyes crinkle when she smiles aren’t the reason why her knees falter or her heart tingles.

To be honest, Siyeon doesn’t think she needs an answer. Keeping Minji close to her is enough.

—

Minji invites Siyeon over for dinner after a draining day of extra classes at school.

The house is empty and dark when they arrive. Minji explains that her parents are out buying clothes with Gahyeon and it’s going to take a while for them to return. For some reason Siyeon can’t quite explain, the thought of being completely alone with Minji makes her excited. 

Minji rummages through the fridge, frowning when she doesn’t find the _tteokbokki_ she swore was still there that morning. She sighs, tiptoes to open the cabinet and pulls out a pack of instant ramen, grimacing as she turns to show it to Siyeon. “Is this okay?”

Siyeon giggles, finding the crestfallen expression on Minji’s face adorable. “Of course. Do you need any help?”

Minji thinks for a second, then points to the eggs over the table. “Can you boil some for me?”

Siyeon nods and soon they fall into a comfortable silence, each one of them busy with their own tasks. 

Siyeon knows it shouldn’t, but cooking with Minji fills her soul with warmth. The feeling intensifies when she steals a glance at a concentrated Minji cutting some vegetables and throwing them into the pan, black hair pulled up in a messy bun. _I want something like this when I get married_ , the thought invades Siyeon’s brain without permission, and her cheeks start to burn when she becomes aware of the places her mind is going, so she focuses on the eggs instead.

They decide to go to Minji’s room when the food is ready, struggling with holding their bowls of hot ramen on the way. Minji turns on the radio once she’s settled down and they proceed to eat in a comfortable silence, bopping their heads to the rhythm of a series of _Yang Soo Kyung_ songs.

It blows Siyeon’s mind how peaceful it is with Minji. Had it been anyone else, Siyeon would be anxious about the lack of words being thrown around, would think she did or said something wrong, but that’s not the case with Minji. 

Minji made it easy. 

It took her a few weeks of awkwardness and _mini heart attacks_ to come to that conclusion. Okay, maybe the _mini heart attacks_ are still there, and maybe she still gets them every single time Minji touches her, but Siyeon doesn’t feel the urge to run and hide or shut the girl out anymore. 

Siyeon didn’t need to be anyone but herself around Minji. The sensation is calming, comforting, and it makes her feel safe.

As if she could read Siyeon’s mind, Minji looks up and a smile bloom on her lips, feet tapping to the melody of some song Siyeon doesn’t know the title. Siyeon smiles back, rests her hand over Minji’s for a second before she pulls it back, continuing to slurp on the bowl of ramen resting between her legs.

  
  


“Make me a question.”

Minji breaks the silence that was established in the room after they fell on her single bed. Siyeon hums in thought, eyes struggling to remain open as she mindlessly drums her fingers over her full tummy. It’s hard to come up with something coherent when their shoulders are brushing and there’s butterflies making a mess inside of her stomach.

“Is there any secret you want to share?” It’s what comes out, but Siyeon starts regretting her words the moment she feels Minji tense up beside her. Siyeon chews on her lower lip, searches for Minji’s hand in the dark and once she finds it, she allows her fingers to caress the soft skin in an attempt to tranquilize the other girl. “It’s okay if you don’t.”

“There is one, actually,” Minji breathes out, rolling over so she can catch a glimpse of Siyeon’s face in the dark. Siyeon does the same, and it doesn’t take long for their hands to find each other again, fingers intertwining as if there was a magnet pulling them together. “Every day I feel like I’m about to let this secret slip, but…”

“But?” Siyeon encourages.

“I don’t know,” Minji laughs, and it’s bitter. “Maybe it’s not the right time yet?” Minji sighs, and Siyeon is not sure if she’s going insane because of their proximity but she swears Minji stares down at her lips before licking her own, “I’m not even sure if there’ll ever be one. It’s hard to put it into words.”

There’s a pause, then Minji brushes a string of Siyeon’s hair behind her ears. Siyeon closes her eyes, leaning mindlessly into the gentle touch. “You’ll be the first person to know. I promise.”

Siyeon is about to answer when there’s a loud thud outside, then a click, and the door of Minji’s room is pushed open, the sudden flash of light against her sensitive eyes nearly causing Siyeon to go blind. There stands Gahyeon, arms crossed over her chest and an accusing look on her face as she asks, “What are you two doing?”

“It’s none of your business,” Minji spits out in a defensive tone, but now that the lights are on Siyeon can see how red her cheeks are and she wants to scream because it’s the first time she sees Minji get flushed and it’s absolutely endearing, “What do you want?”

Gahyeon rolls her eyes, then deadpans, “We brought food.”

“We’re full,” Minji glares at her sister, points to the door, “Now _leave_.”

“No.”

Minji grabs the pillow behind her and throws it in Gahyeon’s direction. It hits the middle schooler right on the forehead, and Siyeon swears she tries not to, but ends up chuckling behind her fist at the scene. “ _Now_ , Lee Gahyeon!” Minji orders in her best threatening voice, eyes turning so sharp they could kill.

 _Is this what it’s like to have a sibling?_ Siyeon wonders, sitting awkwardly on the bed as the two continue to fight. Suddenly the idea of having a sister doesn’t sound as fun as it did when she first met them.

Gahyeon makes sure to throw the pillow back at Minji before she leaves with a grunt, closing the door behind her with so much rage that makes some objects over the study desk tremble. 

“Sorry,” Minji starts as soon as Gahyeon’s footsteps aren’t audible anymore, sharp eyes turning into the gentle ones Siyeon has come to adore, “That little brat gets on my nerves sometimes.”

“It’s okay,” Siyeon giggles, “It was, uh,” her hands move around in the air as she tries to find the most fitting words to say, “Entertaining. Yeah.”

Minji scoffs, raises one eyebrow, “Watching me being one step away from murdering my sister was entertaining to you? _Really?_ ”

“Sort of?” Siyeon grimaces.

Minji is about to protest when a thought flashes through her mind, a devilish smirk appearing on her lips as she grabs another pillow. “Let’s see how entertaining it is now that you’re the one I want to kill.”

Siyeon gulps. “No, Minji, wait—“

Next thing she knows, she’s running around Minji’s room as she tries to escape, yelping every time Minji gets too close to her with the _murder pillow_.

Siyeon doesn’t know how or when but at some point she slips over a shoe scattered on the floor, falls flat on the bed and for some reason Minji falls too. _On top of her_ . The air is knocked out of Siyeon’s lungs when she finds the courage to open her eyes, finding Minji staring at her with a look that screams _something_. Siyeon doesn’t know what it is, but it’s yelling at her and it’s making her feel so damn weak to the point where she thinks she’s about to faint. Minji is staring at her lips again, and Siyeon doesn’t know how long it will take before the rational part of her brain shuts off and she does something stupid.

Then Minji hits the pillow on top of her head, making Siyeon jolt and nearly choke on her saliva. _Right_. Siyeon completely forgot they were in the middle of a game.

“Gotcha,” Minji laughs and boops Siyeon’s nose, unaware of the things she’s doing to her heart.

“ _Ha ha_ ,” Siyeon rolls her eyes and pinches Minji’s arm, smirking when the other girl yelps. “Very funny, Kim Minji.”

  
  


When Siyeon is gathering her stuff to leave, Gahyeon _not-so-subtly_ grabs her by the arm and drags her into her bedroom, closing the door before she sighs.

“I guess you’re unnie’s new favorite.”

Siyeon blinks, frowns. “What?”

“Minji unnie never lets anyone ruin her _perfect sheets_ , but you were there,” Gahyeon twirls her hair, smirking as she leans against the door, “Looking like you were about to—”

“ _I get it_ ,” Siyeon snaps, crossing her arms as she glares at the younger girl. “Your point is?”

The reaction only makes Gahyeon’s smirk grow. “My point is, I’ve always been her favorite even though we’re always at each other’s throat,” Gahyeon’s voice softens, and Siyeon thinks their conversation is going to turn emotional for a second until the devil makes an appearance again, “But now I have to share the spot with you,” there’s a beat of silence, then she tsks, “You’re lucky you’re cute, or else I would kill you.”

Siyeon chokes on her own saliva and blinks a thousand times before she carefully blurts out, “Uh, thanks, I guess?”

There’s a knock on the door, then Minji’s annoyed voice follows, “Gahyeon, stop wasting Siyeon’s time and let her go! Her mom is calling!”

Siyeon immediately turns to Gahyeon as if she was asking for permission, and she knows how foolish she is for being threatened by a literal fourteen year old, but she can’t help but to let out a relieved sigh once Gahyeon nods. “Go.”

_(“You look like you just saw a ghost,” Minji points out as she accompanies Siyeon to the gates, an worried expression painting her features. “Did Gahyeon do something to you?”_

_“N-No,” Siyeon gulps, tries to put on a convincing smile. “She didn’t.)_

—

That night, Siyeon dreams of cherry blossoms, pink lipstick and sunny afternoons. Dreams of Minji’s smile, of how well their hands fit together and about kissing her in the locker room.

Something finally clicks. 


	2. no proof, one touch, but you felt enough

Things don't change much after Siyeon’s _epiphany_ , really.

Of course, she has to pretend she’s not thinking about Minji pushing her against a locker and kissing her every time they have PE class, but other than that it’s fine. She still feels lightheaded when Minji touches her or when their faces are too near, which is _all the time_ , but it’s okay. 

Siyeon has a crush on Minji. She accepts it, embraces it and tells herself that having a crush on a girl who’s constantly touching her and showering her with affection is not the end of the world.

_Right?_

_(“It isn’t, right? It can’t be,” Siyeon asks herself one night while she stares at her reflection in the mirror, a nervous laugh falling from her lips at the thought. Maybe she’s going a little insane, only a bit. But it’s fine._

_Siyeon drags a hand through her face, groaning when she finds a pimple under her jaw, “It can’t be worse than this abomination, anyway.”)_

Siyeon decides to tell Yubin about it during one of their exclusive _ice cream in Handong’s backyard_ meetings, timid and quiet because the girls are baking cookies in the kitchen and she doesn’t want anyone else to hear it. 

_(“I like Minji.”_

_Yubin doesn’t flinch. Siyeon thinks she might’ve lowered her voice too much, so she clears her throat and tries again, looking around to make sure there’s no one listening to their conversation._

_“Yubin-ah,” Siyeon tries again, nudges Yubin’s leg with her foot, “I like Minji.”_

_There’s a beat of silence, then Yubin removes the spoon out of her mouth and says, “Cool.”_

_“Cool? Is that it?”_

_Yubin shrugs, shoving the spoon back into the pot of ice cream, “What else am I supposed to say?”_

_“I don’t know,” Siyeon murmurs, legs swaying back and forth, “Maybe ask me how did this happen?”_

_“Why would I?” Yubin says matter-of-factly, “I saw everything happen right in front of my eyes.”)_

Siyeon keeps repeating what Yubin said in her head, even if it wasn’t much. _I saw it happen right in front of my eyes._ Did everyone else see it, too? Is there a possibility that Minji, mayhaps—

“Hey,” Minji pops out of nowhere and takes a seat beside Siyeon on the couch, causing the latter to jump in surprise. “Are you okay? You’ve been sitting here with this weird look on your face for minutes.”

“I’m okay,” Siyeon smiles softly, patting Minji’s hand. _Of course Minji would notice_. “Just thinking.”

Minji rests her chin over Siyeon’s shoulder. Siyeon shivers when she feels Minji’s hot breath against her neck. “About?”

 _You_. “Nothing important," Siyeon lies, guilt eating her alive for doing so. 

Siyeon can tell that Minji doesn’t believe her, but she’s still thankful when the girl chooses to drop the topic. “We all have our own secrets,” Minji smiles, presses a chaste kiss on Siyeon’s cheek and stands up, straightening her pink skirt. “I have to go back now or else Yoohyeon will set the kitchen on fire.”

Siyeon chuckles, “Okay.”

She sighs as she watches Minji go, stomach twirling when Minji laughs at one of Bora’s inappropriate jokes and her eyes turn into small crescents. She also thinks about the secret Minji is not ready to tell her yet, wonders if carrying it deep inside her chest makes Minji feel like, sometimes, she’s about to lose her mind too.

 _Liking Minji isn’t the end of the world_ , Siyeon concludes, bites back a giggle when Minji pinches Yoohyeon’s arm and the latter cries, _but it isn’t an easy task, either._

—

Siyeon is standing by a river.

The wind blows against her skin and the sun shines brightly up in the sky. She feels at peace, but not complete. There’s something missing. _Someone_.

_“Siyeon-ah!”_

Siyeon turns around, immediately greeted by the view of Minji in a flower dress, an angelic smile on her face as she waves, and understands why she felt so empty before. 

Minji comes closer, wraps her arms around Siyeon’s waist and— a lick.

A lick?

_Wait a minute._

Siyeon cracks her eyes open, struggling to adjust to the brightness of her room. Why are the curtains open? Why are her parents standing at the door? Why is there a dog—

Siyeon frowns, blinks as the animal continues to lick her cheeks. “A… _dog_?”

“Happy one month in Samsung-dong, darling!” Siyeon’s parents say in unison, and her father makes a show to pretend he’s blowing up fireworks with his hands.

“Oh my god,” Siyeon is starting to come to her senses, bringing up a hand to caress the overly excited puppy in front of her face. He attempts to bark, and the sound that comes out instead is so adorable that Siyeon has to fight the urge to squeeze him in her arms. “He’s… mine?”

Her parents nod, expectation shining in their eyes. Siyeon can’t help but to let out an excited yelp, grabbing the little animal in her hands before she walks up to the adults and engulfs them in a tight hug, laughing her heart out when the puppy lets out the same cute sound as before.

_Another wish came true._

  
  


“Siyeon-ah, we’re coming in!”

It’s almost lunch time when Bora’s loud voice reach Siyeon’s ears, causing her to jump in surprise and nearly drop the poor animal that was sleeping soundly on her lap. She gets up, peeks through the curtains and what she sees is one of the funniest scenes ever: Yoohyeon struggling to balance a cake on her arms and nearly letting it slip when Bora decides to pinch her legs. Handong watches the scene with a frown on her face, waiting for the right moment to reach out and pinch Bora’s exposed arm, hissing something that sounds a lot like “ _Quit acting like a child all the time, Kim Bora!”_

Siyeon opens the door, and they scream in unison, “Happy one month in Ssangmun-dong!”

Siyeon feels like crying. It’s still hard for her to believe that she’s here, in _Ssangmun-dong_ , in _Seoul_ , that she doesn’t have to worry about her family being thrown in the street and that now she has a group of friends that genuinely care for her, in their own special ways.

“Happy one month of being our friend!” Bora squeezes her cheeks, and Siyeon can’t help but to laugh at the girl’s antics. “We love you, idiot.”

“We do,” Yoohyeon smiles, leaving the cake over the table before a disaster happens. “You’re stuck with us forever now. There’s no turning back.”

“Forever,” Gahyeon says, jumping to Siyeon’s side and intertwining their arms. “Understood?”

Siyeon chuckles, ruffling Gahyeon’s hair with her free hand, “Understood, ma’am.”

Each one of them gives her a quick hug before they greet her parents and disappear into her bedroom. All of them but Minji who, _of course_ , decides to take her time, wrapping her arms around Siyeon’s waist for much longer than she should and even leaving a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for coming into my life, Singnie,” Minji smiles and follows the others, leaving a dazzled — _and extremely flushed_ — Siyeon behind.

Siyeon makes sure to drink a glass of water, throw some water on her face and take a deep breath before she enters her room, finding six girls lying on the floor side by side, looking at her expectantly.

“Hurry,” Bora makes some space for her in the middle, which is coincidentally right beside Minji. Siyeon tries not to scream. “We’re catching up.”

 _Catching up as if they don’t see each other every day. Interesting._ Siyeon shrugs, making herself as comfortable as she can on the cold hard ground. Their shoulders brush and Siyeon’s mind flashes back to the fateful moment on Minji’s bed. She thinks about the way Minji was staring at her lips, at how her breath was spreading against her face—

“I have something to share,” Gahyeon starts in a cheery tone, pulling Siyeon out of her bubble, “I had my first kiss.”

Everyone gasps, minus Minji, which shocks them more than their baby getting her first kiss. Bora side eyes the girl, “Why are you so calm, Minji?”

“She told me first, idiot.” Minji sticks her tongue out. Bora mimics the action. Siyeon, literally lying in the middle of both, has no other choice but to chuckle at the ridiculous exchange.

“With who, Gahyeonie?” Yoohyeon asks, eyes sparkling in anticipation.

“A girl from my class,” Gahyeon twirls her hair, sighing dreamily, “Her name is Dayoung and she’s probably the most beautiful human on earth.”

“That’s so cute,” Handong coos, patting Gahyeon’s head affectionately, “Our baby is all grown up now.”

“Thanks, unnie,” Gahyeon smiles innocently, and it sends a shiver down Siyeon’s spine how something so pure can quickly turn into the scariest smirk she’s ever seen, “I got my first kiss before Minji unnie got hers. Isn’t that super cool?”

Minji scoffs, grabbing the first thing her hands can find as she hisses, “ _You little—_ “

“I also haven’t had mine!” Siyeon announces before a scruffy shoe can fly straight into Gahyeon’s face.

Minji’s hand freezes on the air, face melting into something softer as she turns her attention to Siyeon. Her voice comes out vulnerable, slightly above a whisper as she asks, “You… _haven’t?_ ”

“I haven’t,” Siyeon plays with her nails, doing her best to ignore how fast her heart is beating against her chest. A shaky breath escapes from her lips, “I’ve never been too popular, you know. There has never been an opportunity.”

“Maybe the right time hasn’t come yet,” Yoohyeon reasons with a shrug, snuggling into Yubin’s embrace, “It’ll happen when you find the right person.”

Siyeon sighs, thinking of how many times she has dreamed of kissing — _and nearly kissing, like today_ — the girl beside her. She’s probably gonna have another one of those after the way Minji greeted her earlier. “You’re right.”

“Yeah, and it’s just a kiss, it’s not _that_ deep,” Bora begins, mindlessly drumming her fingers over her stomach, “It’s not like we’re talking about se—“

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Kim Bora,” Handong threatens, clearly flushed, and Bora visibly deflates, crossing her arms and whining like a child.

“Okay,” Bora murmurs, a pout visible on her lips, and Siyeon thinks it’s endearing how Handong is the only one who can keep the _young and wild Kim Bora_ on track.

Minji chuckles at the scene, and Siyeon realizes that’s the first sound she made after the whole _first kiss_ debate started. Minji stares up at the ceiling as the girls continue sharing their experiences, lips pressed into a thin line as her mind floats away. Siyeon can’t help but to stare, the voices filling the room slowly fading into the background, and for a second it’s like there’s no one else in the room but her, Minji and the garden filled with all the beautiful feelings she has towards her. 

Siyeon’s licks her lips as she wonders what’s going on inside that pretty yet complex mind of hers. A small, wishful part of her hopes that Minji is thinking about her, as irrational as it might sound.

“Kim Minji!” A loud shriek makes Siyeon cover her ears, then a cushion flies over her head and crashes against a distracted Minji, who nearly cracks a bone at how ungraciously her body jolts up. “I’ve been calling you for two minutes!” 

“Hey!” Minji growls, whimpering as she pushes herself up into a sitting position. She directs a scowl at Bora, “Have you lost your mind?”

Bora scoffs, “I can ask you the same thing! You’re acting very suspicious these days,” she crosses her arms over her chest, an accusing look painting her features. “Are you hiding something from us?”

The room falls silent. Minji becomes rigid, avoiding eye contact with Bora at all costs, and the scene reminds Siyeon of how tense Minji became when she was talking about her _secret_ the other day. “No, I’m not,” Minji snaps, and if the way Bora’s eyes soften is any indicator, the girl realized that, _maybe_ , this isn’t another lighthearted joke to Minji. 

“Hey,” Bora crawls to Minji’s side, poking her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

Minji sighs, sharp eyes dissolving into their usual warm, friendly shape again. Siyeon releases a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “It’s okay,” Minji smiles, patting Bora’s hand, “What were you calling me for, anyway?”

Bora snaps her fingers, “Right!” she smiles, stands up and stretches a hand out for Minji to grab, “Let’s show them our performance.”

 _The performance, right_. Siyeon forgot about the whole _Spring Dance Competition of 1989_ for a second. 

Minji and Bora have been perfecting their choreography for weeks now, hiding in class during lunch break and sneaking into the locker room to practice nearly every day — when Minji wasn’t busy being all over Siyeon, dragging her up and down their school building and unconsciously shaking up her heart, of course.

Minji groans, “Now?”

“Yes, _now_ ,” Bora rolls her eyes, shaking her stretched hand exasperatedly, “The competition is tomorrow, Minji. We need some feedback.”

“Come on, unnie,” Gahyeon nudges her sister with her elbow, “Show us.”

Yoohyeon smirks, clapping as she starts to chant, “Show us! Show us!” 

Soon all of them are chanting, clapping and pushing Minji forward — _especially Yoohyeon, who even tickles the poor girl_ — so she has no other choice but to stand beside Bora, massaging her temples as her shoulders drop. “Fine,” Minji sighs, defeated, and turns to Siyeon, “Play the song for us, Singnie.”

Siyeon nods, rushing to the table where her radio is and sliding the tape in. Minji and Bora put their index fingers up, determination shines in their eyes, and the song starts.

The rest of them laugh, cheer and follow some of the dance moves during the performance, clapping like they’re at a _Sobangcha_ concert when the song comes to an end. Minji points and winks at Siyeon, any traces of annoyance gone from her face as she pants and chuckles heartedly, looking like a real celebrity. 

“You did great,” Siyeon whispers to Minji once the girl settles beside her on the floor, nudges her shoulder lightly, “I think you should be an idol.”

Minji laughs, leaning her head on Siyeon’s and wasting no time before she connects their fingers, “Thanks, I’ll consider it.”

“That was great and all, _but_ ,” Yubin starts, and every head in the room turns in her direction, “How are we supposed to break into an event for college girls?”

Bora’s shoulders drop, and so does her face. “I— I don’t know?”

“You practiced for weeks and didn’t think about the most important thing?” Gahyeon scoffs, rolls her eyes, “What the hell are we going to do now? I really want to win that expensive radio,” she cries, resting her chin over her palms.

“Don’t worry, kid,” Yoohyeon pats Gahyeon’s head, posing like a superhero in the most dramatic and old fashioned way possible as she announces, “I’ll come up with a plan.”

Bora tsks, raises an eyebrow, “You? I don’t want to get caught, you know. Maybe we should let Yubin—“

“Shut up, dwarf,” Yoohyeon points a threatening finger to Bora’s face, “I said I’ll take care of it.”

“There’s no way I’m letting this happen, you— you _ugly tree_ ,” Siyeon cringes at Bora’s poor attempt in offending Yoohyeon, “I’ll help with the plan and you can’t convince me otherwise.”

The girls throw _sweet compliments_ at each other for an eternity before they decide to focus on the actual problem and start cooperating to come up with a solution for the inconvenience. 

They eventually move to the living room so they can eat the cake, and the debate over how they’ll make sure to sneak out at night and not get caught during their _night of freedom_ continues. Siyeon is about to jump into the conversation with a suggestion she considers life changing when Minji tugs the hem of her shirt, mouthing a _let’s go outside for a minute_ as she grins, and Siyeon’s no longer sure of what she was going to say.

They sneak out while Bora and Yoohyeon are yelling at each other with their mouths full of cake, and Minji engulfs Siyeon into a tight hug as soon as the door closes behind them.

“I’m sorry,” Minji mutters, head resting on Siyeon’s shoulder. _Breathe, Siyeon, breathe,_ “For getting angry earlier, I mean.”

Siyeon frowns, pulls back only enough to be able to look Minji in the eyes, “Why are you apologizing?”

“Because it’s your day,” Minji sighs, casting her head down, “I nearly ruined everything.”

“No, you didn’t,” Siyeon offers a gentle smile, holds Minji’s face in her hands with care, “It’s okay to get mad. You don’t have to hold everything in for everyone’s sake all the time, you know?”

Minji’s bottom lip starts to quiver, her brown eyes welling up with tears, and Siyeon doesn’t think twice before pulling her back into a bone crushing hug, hands gently stroking her hair and moving up and down her back every once in a while, hoping Minji catches what she’s trying to say — _I’m here for you, I care about you, I won’t judge you, you can let your guard down around me._

“Thanks,” Minji sniffles, reluctantly breaking the contact between their bodies. Siyeon reaches out and wipes out a lone tear that slid through Minji’s flushed cheek. “Not only for this, but for everything.”

“Hey, I haven’t done half of what you did for me,” Siyeon laughs, trying to hold back the tears, “You even tied my laces, remember?”

Minji chuckles, “Yeah,” brushes Siyeon’s cheek, “I like taking care of you, I guess.”

 _I want you to take care of me for the rest of my life, I guess._ “I like it, too,” Siyeon says instead, hiding a giggle behind her fist, and soon the sweet moment between them is murdered by Yoohyeon screaming their names from the couch, ordering them to come inside because apparently they have great news.

“We already know what we’re going to do!” Yoohyeon announces, clasping her hands together in excitement. 

“I don’t like this plan,” Gahyeon complains, brows furrowing, “I can’t even be part of it.”

“It’s not our fault you look like you’re ten,” Bora rolls her eyes, completely unfazed by the glare Gahyeon aims at her, “So, here’s the deal…”

—

So maybe Bora's and Yoohyeon’s plan wasn't _exactly_ the best, Siyeon realizes once one of her shoes slip out of her foot while she's running for her life, a panting Minji one step ahead of her. To explain why, we'll have to rewind and go back to the beginning of their so-called _night of freedom_.

It was all fun and games when they arrived — the music was nice, the drinks were free and no one suspected that they were high school students. Yubin even got a girl's number on the palm of her hand, much to Yoohyeon's chagrin.

It didn't take too long for the dance competition — _aka the reason why they got themselves in this mess in the first place_ — to start. Minji and Bora were the fourth duo to take over the stage, setting the crowd of college girls on fire with their own _Last Night's Story_ choreography.

_("Kim Minji is the best!" Siyeon would scream at the top of her lungs, while Handong who was jumping and clapping like crazy by her side would say, "I love you Kim Bora! Marry me!")_

Minji jumped into Siyeon's arms once the performance ended, yelping in surprise when Siyeon lifted her up and spinned her around. Yoohyeon and Yubin threw themselves into the hug moments later. Handong and Bora were, _well_ — they were basically sucking on each other's face at the other side, making their friends groan in disapproval of the scene.

Yoohyeon was about to make a snarky remark about how much of a bad kisser Bora must be when she freezes in place, face growing pale as she gulps down the lump that forms in her throat.

"Yoohyeon-ah," Minji frowns, waves her hand in front of the girl's whitening face, "What's wrong?"

Yoohyeon doesn't answer, eyes fixated on the opposite side of the room. And when they follow her gaze, they realize that they're completely and entirely _fucked_. Most of them do, at least — Siyeon stands there, dumbfounded, not sure of what's happening or why her friends look like they've seen a ghost.

"Uh," Siyeon clears her throat, "What's happening?"

"That's Yoohyeon's cousin," Yubin breathes out, eyes wide, "And she hates Yoohyeon's guts so we have to get the fuck out of here if we want to survive. _Now_."

Next thing Siyeon knows, she's running through a dark street with Minji by her side, the rest of the girls gone in different directions and she's not sure how they're supposed to find each other again. Then she loses her shoe, cuts her feet, and suddenly she's being carried on the back by a very exhausted Minji.

"Minji, let's stop running," Siyeon says, out of breath as she holds on to Minji's shoulders for dear life, "You'll break a bone like this."

Minji hesitates, but stops at a corner and lets Siyeon slide out of her back, holding her hand as a form of support as soon as her bruised feet touch the ground. And as much as Siyeon hates to admit it, she misses the proximity between them immediately, even if the whole piggyback ride thing was messy and she spent those short minutes terrified of slipping and hurting herself once more.

Minji helps Siyeon sit down over a closed trash can, examines the cut like a doctor and winces. "It must hurt a lot," she pouts, then starts rummaging through her bag before she pulls out a pack of bear themed band-aids, "I take these everywhere," Minji grimaces, and Siyeon's heart skips a beat.

"It's— _ugh_ ," Siyeon groans when Minji's cold hands make contact with her injured foot, placing the band-aid over the cut with ease, "It's cute."

Minji flashes Siyeon an apologetic smile, "This won't do much for the pain, but it's better than nothing."

Siyeon wants to pull her and kiss her and scream about how lovely she is, but instead she puts on a smile, caresses the back of Minji's hand and says, "It's okay. Thank you for taking care of me."

Minji is opening her mouth to say something back when a loud thud cuts through the silence, then a voice follows, "Get out, Yoohyeon! I know you're here and I'll tell your parents everything!"

" _Fuck,_ " Minji hisses under her breath, and Siyeon is amused for a second because Minji never curses, then she comes to her senses and realizes they're doomed and have to get their asses out of there. _Quickly_. "Hop in."

Siyeon has no choice but to wrap her arms around Minji's neck and let herself be lifted by the other girl, burying her head on Minji's shoulder as she starts running again. It's hard to maintain the position as Minji's pace quickens, and Siyeon's pretty sure her neck will cramp later, but the last thing she wants is to look up and get dizzy with the fluorescent lights. Plus, Minji smells good even after running for minutes, and taking in the scent of her strawberry perfume eases Siyeon’s nerves, brings her the peace she needs in such a stressful moment.

In a desperate attempt to mislead Yoohyeon's cousin, Minji slides into a narrow alley and Siyeon has no choice but to get off Minji's back, limping as they make their way towards a telephone booth, squeezing themselves behind it to make sure no one is going to find them there.

Then Siyeon becomes hyperly aware of the fact that they’re pressed against each other, faces near to the point where she can count Minji’s eyelashes and feel her hot breath against her tingling skin. The realization makes her knees buckle, and she has no other choice but to wrap her arms around Minji’s neck for support.

 _Great, now it looks like we’re about to kiss_ , she hisses internally, casting her eyes down to avoid staring at Minji’s mouth. It’s not a smart choice, though, because Siyeon misses the way Minji’s eyelids flutter closed and starts to lean in, pressing a chaste peck on her lips.

Siyeon forgets how to breathe for a second, brain malfunctioning as she tries to wrap her mind around the fact that Minji kissed her. Kim Minji, _the_ Kim Minji she has a crush on, kissed her. She blinks a thousand times, lips parting as incoherent sounds slip out of her throat, then she finally risks taking a look at the girl in front of her, the girl who just took away her first kiss. 

Minji’s lips are parted, too — and this time, Siyeon doesn’t stop herself from glancing at it. They’re red, inviting, and Siyeon wants nothing but to taste more of them, have them pressed against hers one more time. When Siyeon forces her eyes to search for Minji’s, she notices they are wide and trembling, and it’s not hard for her to tell the girl is having a _meltdown_ , that she clearly didn’t think this whole kissing thing through. Minji’s mouth opens and closes multiple times before she sighs, voice shaky and vulnerable as she croaks out, “I’m sorry, Siyeon. I’m really, _really_ sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

Siyeon shuts her up with another kiss, a deeper one this time.

Siyeon can feel Minji groaning into the kiss, feels the girl’s hands slowly traveling its way down to her waist and remaining there, tugging lightly at the hem of her shirt. Siyeon flies to cloud nine as their lips keep moving against each other, wondering if the act of kissing someone is actually _that_ good or if the sensation of being swept off her feet comes entirely from the fact that Minji is the one doing it.

Minji’s expression softens when they pull apart, cheeks burning red as she giggles and says, “ _Did—_ Did you just kiss me?”

Siyeon scoffs, shoving Minji’s shoulder lightly, “Well, _you_ kissed _me_ first,” a teasing smirk becomes visible on her lips, “It would be rude of me to not return the favor, don’t you think?”

It’s Minji’s turn to shove Siyeon. Siyeon decides to put an end to their playful banter with a kiss. Then another. Then one more. 

Heaven knows how much she craved for this moment, and the thought of letting any second inside of this paradise they built behind a worn out telephone booth go to waste terrifies her.

So Siyeon kisses Minji — continues kissing her like Minji is the oxygen she needs to keep breathing, existing, sane.

_(She sort of is.)_

  
  


Siyeon and Minji get home an hour later — _12:45AM_ , to be exact. 

They’re holding hands, swinging them back and forth with each step, eyes shining so brightly that they put the moon above their heads to shame. 

The bliss doesn’t last long, though, because as soon as they turn around the corner to their street they come face to face with their enraged families, Yoohyeon and Yubin standing beside them with their heads down, hands closed into fists. Bora and Handong are still missing, probably busy making out behind some tree on their way home. _How fucking great._

Yoohyeon’s cousin is there, too, a smirk full of poison dancing on her lips.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Siyeon mutters under her breath, massaging her temples with both of her hands. She risks a glance at Minji, realizes the girl has gone pale and sighs, completely defeated. 

_It’s over for them._

—

Their families came to decide — _after a very tense discussion in the middle of Yoohyeon’s living room that lasted for a whole hour_ — that they were going to give all of them the same punishment — a week of all work and no play.

A week of no hangouts, no nights at Handong’s room, no ice cream, no visits to _Brazil Tteokbokki_ , nothing. The only place they’re allowed to go is the study room. Siyeon can’t even take Cookie for a walk around the neighborhood.

_(Siyeon nearly had her precious Mymy confiscated. She cried and begged so hard that her mom gave in at the end — but only after making Siyeon clean the whole house and backyard, of course.)_

“So much for Spring break, huh,” Siyeon grunts, stares at the clock on her wall and tries to make time move faster with her piercing gaze. It doesn’t work.

Siyeon believes the whole _being grounded for the first time in her life_ thing is starting to make her go insane, because for once the idea of going to the study room sounds pleasing. So she gets up, throws the hoodie forgotten on her chair over her head, grabs her bag and leaves, ignoring her parents' confused gazes.

  
  


“ _Psst_.”

Siyeon frowns at the sound. There’s almost no one in the study room at such an hour — one in the morning, to be exact. She decides to ignore it, plugging her headphones to the _Mymy_ resting beside a pile of foreign languages books and grabbing a random tape from her bag. 

The melody of _The Meaning Of You_ starts filling her ears as soon as she presses the play button. Siyeon smiles, content with the song that came on, and continues practicing Chinese grammar structure. 

Until an eraser hits her leg. 

Siyeon removes the headphones from her head and scans her surroundings, exasperated. If one of those _fuckers_ from the nearest all boys school invaded the girls study room in the middle of the night just to mess with her, she swears—

“Siyeon-ah,” Minji whisper-shouts, hiding behind one of the chairs, a pained yet apologetic expression painting her delicate features as she says, “It was me. Sorry. You weren’t listening.”

Siyeon blushes, mouths an _it’s okay_ before she starts closing her books and gathering her belongings, shoving it all inside of her bag without a second thought. She doesn’t care if it’s a mess or if they’ll be wrinkly and ugly by the time she gets home — all she knows is that Minji is there, brown eyes shining in expectation as she patiently waits for her to pack her stuff, and it’s already an automatic reaction to rush to wherever the other girl is, no matter the circumstances.

“Minji—“

“ _Shh_ ,” Minji places the tip of her index finger against Siyeon’s lips, and Siyeon swears her heart stops beating for a moment, “Let’s get out of here first.”

Siyeon’s voice is shaky as she manages to pull a word out of her mouth, “O-Okay.”

With that, Minji intertwines their fingers and drags Siyeon out of the study room, closes the door as lightly as she can with only one hand, then throws herself on Siyeon’s arms. Siyeon loses balance for a second or two, not sure if it’s because of the sudden impact or if it’s because her bones turn into melted ice cream every time Minji touches her, but her arms find a way to wrap themselves around Minji’s waist in the end. 

It’s hard to resist the urge to bury her nose on Minji’s hair. Or to press her even closer to her body. _Or to kiss her_ —

“I couldn’t sleep,” Minji mumbles against Siyeon’s shoulder, tugging at the hem of her worn out hoodie, “and I wanted to see you.”

The words make Siyeon’s chest tingle and tremble. She hopes Minji didn’t notice. “Yeah?”

Minji nods, “Plus, you were inside of that room for _five_ hours,” she raises her head from Siyeon’s shoulder, worry written all over her face as she presses her hands on each side of the girl’s face, “Look at you, your eyes are red,” Minji tilts her head to the side, frowns, “Aren’t you hungry?”

Siyeon dies a thousand times. _Did Minji catch her leaving her house? Did Minji count how many hours she stayed away? Wait, was Minji waiting for her to get back home safely—_ Siyeon’s not even sure how she’s still standing. “A little bit, maybe?”

Minji huffs, and there’s a hint of a smile on her lips as she speaks, “I’ll treat you to some fish cake, then.”

That’s when Reality hits Siyeon in the face _._ They’re grounded. This is risky. _Stupid Bora, stupid Yoohyeon, stupid plan._

“Are we really doing this?” Siyeon laughs nervously, scratching her neck, “We’re _grounded_ , remember? What if someone catches us again? My parents would kill me if—”

“Oh, baby,” Minji interrupts Siyeon’s monologue, pulling out two masks, two glasses and two hats out of her bag, “You really think I would come unprepared?” 

Siyeon’s jaw mops the floor, then she manages to breathe out, “You’re so badass, Kim Minji.”

“I know,” Minji smiles, offers Siyeon a hand, “Let’s go?”

Siyeon nods, smiles, and intertwines their fingers as Minji tugs her out of the silent building. 

  
  


They found themselves in a packed, brightly lit street a few minutes later, the welcoming smell of food making Siyeon’s empty stomach growl. Minji’s grip on her hand is firm as they walk through the sea of people, unwilling to let go no matter how uncomfortable it gets to walk side by side on a small sidewalk. The action warms Siyeon’s heart because Minji knows how much she hates crowded places, and that’s her way of saying _don’t worry, I’m here, I got you_.

God, it’s been only two days, but Siyeon missed her so much.

They remove their disguise once they find a quiet place to stay. Siyeon waits by a bench while Minji orders, clapping excitedly when the girl returns with the food she was craving for. 

Siyeon groans in pleasure once she takes a bite, smiling from cheek to cheek before she says in a cute voice, “Thank you, Minji.”

Minji chuckles, wiping away a few crumbs from Siyeon’s mouth. “Don’t thank me,” she says truthfully, then she tsks, “ _Messy eater_.”

“I—” Siyeon’s tries to stand up for herself, but the words refuse come out of her throat. She visibly deflates. “Fine. Maybe I’m a messy eater.”

“Just maybe?”

Siyeon scoffs, a pout forming on her lips right after. “Stop teasing me.”

Minji rolls her eyes but ends up giggling at the end, leaning down and successfully kissing the pout away from Siyeon's lips. Siyeon makes a mental note to pout more from now on. “I can’t. You look too cute when you’re annoyed.”

Siyeon thinks it’s ridiculous how Minji’s sappy words make her blush, so she simply grabs the girl by the neck and kisses her again, with more intensity this time. For no reason other than hiding her flushed cheeks, of course.

Minji is breathless when they pull apart, a dopey smile dancing on her lips as she whispers against Siyeon’s lips, “What was that for?”

“I was trying to shut you up,” Siyeon does her best to sound annoyed, but if the way Minji’s eyes sparkle with mischief is any indicator she knows she has failed miserably. 

“Yeah, sure.” Minji laughs, strokes Siyeon’s cheek with the back of her hand, then she sighs, “As much as I love staying here with you, I think it’s time for us to go. It must be past 2AM already.”

Siyeon closes her eyes and leans into Minji’s soft touch, chest clenching at the thought of going back home and having to stay away from the girl again. But she knows she has no choice, so she nods, leaves a peck on the tip of Minji’s nose and gets up, intertwining their fingers with her free hand while the other remains firm around her unfinished fish cake stick.

Siyeon squints her eyes to check the time on the clock inside of a small restaurant they pass by. It’s 2:10 AM. _Shit_. She hopes her parents have slipped into dreamland already.

“I think we should make this our thing,” Minji comments, shaking Siyeon out of her panicked thoughts, “Sneaking out at night, I mean. Even after we’re not grounded anymore.”

Siyeon smiles, swinging their hands back and forth as they walk. The simple thought of spending other nights hanging around the city with Minji by her side fills her with inexplicable joy. “I think that’s a great idea.”

“It’s settled,” there’s a pause, then Minji gives Siyeon’s hand a light squeeze and declares in a determined voice, “Consider this our first date, then.”

Siyeon’s heart soars. Minji’s words and the certainty in the way she utters them make Siyeon feel like she’s been sent straight to heaven. _Our first date_. She wants to scream and to jump but they’re in public and people are going to stare, so she settles for a simple but giddy, “Okay.”

What started with a boring visit to the study room ended up in a date with the girl that she likes. Siyeon couldn’t be happier.

—

It's _8PM_ on a Sunday when Siyeon starts packing her stuff, throwing them deep into her bag in order to not raise any suspicions.

"I'm going to the study room," Siyeon lies through her teeth when she enters the living room, waving goodbye to her parents and patting Cookie's head before she's out, a whole kingdom of butterflies tickling her stomach at the thought of seeing Minji when she's not supposed to.

Siyeon knows she should actually put on some effort to study during spring break. She's acutely aware that school will get impossibly harder once they return. But it's hard to care about the growing pains of being a senior when she has Kim Minji to kiss.

Speaking of the devil, there she is. Leaning on a wall with a lollipop hanging from her mouth, eyes lost in the stars shining brightly on the sky. It takes a while for Minji to notice there's another person there, and Siyeon chooses to remain silent, taking her time to admire the ethereal beauty standing in front of her.

She's so lucky.

Minji grins softly once she acknowledges the girl's presence, sending Siyeon's heart to the moon. "Hi," Minji whispers as she removes her weight from the wall. She throws the lollipop in a trash can, rushes to peck Siyeon's lips before she confesses, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Siyeon smiles against Minji's mouth, reaching out to stroke her cheeks, "At least this is our last day being grounded."

"Yeah," Minji chuckles, melting under Siyeon's touch. "I wonder how the others are doing."

"Bora must be dying without Handong," Siyeon rolls her eyes at the thought, then laughs, "But maybe they're sneaking out like us too?"

Minji scoffs, "Bora is such a coward. She might be wild and loud when she's with us but trust me, she's all talk and no action. Plus, their parents are super strict," a defeated sigh escapes her lips, and Siyeon's heart aches. Minji is always so worried about them, no wonder they affectionately her call the leader of their little group. "I feel bad for those two."

Siyeon brings Minji into a hug, caressing her back tenderly. Siyeon's heart soars when Minji gives into the affection, allowing Siyeon to take care of her for once. "It's okay to be worried," Siyeon pauses to press a kiss on Minji's forehead then continues, "But they're probably doing fine. We're all going to see each other tomorrow at school, remember?"

Minji's smile returns to her face, and it takes all of Siyeon's willpower to not scream in celebration. "Mhm," Minji murmurs, the tip of her nose brushing against Siyeon's, "I remember."

Siyeon can't hold herself back anymore. Minji looks so pretty under the streetlamps and her mouth looks like it's begging to be kissed so she doesn't think twice before she grabs Minji by the waist and connects their lips together, knees buckling once she feels Minji's teeth sinking into the flesh of her lower lip.

Siyeon has never kissed anyone apart from Minji in her seventeen years of life, but _shit_ , she doubts any other girl would be able to get her as lightheaded or surrendered.

There's a dopey smile playing on Minji's red lips when they pull apart, pressing a light kiss between Siyeon's brows before she grabs her hand and says, "Shall we go?"

Siyeon giggles, surprised that she forgot that they're still on their street for a second, only a few meters away from home. _That's how much of an impact Minji's kisses have on her._ "Lead the way."

"You're sure we won't get in trouble for this, right?" Siyeon asks for the nth time as they carefully climb the stairs, hands tied together because the building is shabby and obscure and Siyeon is terrified.

Minji can only laugh, her grip on Siyeon's shaky hand becoming impossibly tighter. "We won't, Singnie," she starts softly, turning around to flash Siyeon a comforting smile, "Yubin is the one who told me about this place and you know she's the smartest one of us. She wouldn't lead us to death, I promise."

Siyeon remains frightened but nods, appreciating the effort Minji is putting in soothing her nerves. "How does Yubin know about this place, anyway?"

"She said she brought someone special here once," Minji explains, "She never told us who, though. That girl can be so secretive sometimes."

Yoohyeon's face and the love that drips from her eyes everytime Yubin enters the room is the first thing that pops on Siyeon's head. She giggles behind her fist, hoping Yoohyeon is the special someone Yubin told Minji about. She's almost sure she is. "I know right?"

It takes them a few more steps before Minji pushes a door open, making Siyeon's jaw drop at the astonishing view in front of her.

"Minji, this is so—" Siyeon chokes as she takes in the scenery, eyes watering without her noticing while she glances up at the night sky, and for a second she believes she could grab the moon and the stars if she were to stretch out her arms. "It's just so beautiful."

It's Minji's first time being up there, too, so her voice quivers when she whispers, "Yeah, yeah it is."

Warmth blooms in Siyeon's chest and spreads to the rest of her body once her gaze fixes on a dazed Minji, too busy admiring the shiny dots over their heads to notice the way Siyeon is staring at her like she's the most dazzling star dancing on the sky, to notice how hard she's _falling._

"I think I love you."

It falls so easily from Siyeon's lips that it takes a few seconds for her to come to her senses and realize what she just said. Siyeon waits for regret to wash over her, waits for her mind to start yelling _danger, danger, danger,_ but it never comes. Siyeon is no longer ashamed of her feelings, or of how hard she feels them.

Siyeon might be young, she might not know anything but she knows she wants to be with Minji for the rest of her life, knows she wants to climb a mountain and shout the pretty little things she kept locked in her heart for the entire world to hear.

Siyeon finally knew what it was. She is in love.

Minji stands there, an unreadable expression on her face as her dark strands fly along with the wind with ease. Siyeon waits patiently, aware that her words might be too much for Minji to take, that the girl might not say them back. And as impossible as it might sound, Minji's silence doesn't make her feel the urge to bawl her eyes out nor do they make her want to climb on a bus and disappear. Maybe all those books, songs and movies are right — love is patient, kind, and makes us grow, one way or another.

What Siyeon isn't expecting, though, is for Minji to run into her arms and kiss her with everything she has, like she's trying her best to show Siyeon how much she cares, how much she craves, how much she worships her. Siyeon feels it in the way Minji squeezes her waist, in the way she scratches her neck and in the way her eyes crinkle when she breathes against her lips, "I think I love you too, Siyeon."

Siyeon smiles so widely that her cheeks hurt, but the pain is nothing compared to the fireworks exploding inside of her chest.

"Let's figure this thing out together, then," Siyeon says, chuckles, and wastes no time before she connects their lips again.

It's one of those days Siyeon's sure she'll never forget about, the day where the last of her wishes came true.

_Minji understands._

—

Bora and Yoohyeon look like shit on their first day of school after spring break ends, guilty written all over their sleep deprived faces.

"We're really sorry, guys," Bora cries like the drama queen she is, a pout visible on her glossy lips, "Our dumb plan ruined our last spring break."

"We already said it's okay," Yubin laughs at Bora's antics as she pats her friend's back, "Just let it go."

"Yeah, Bora," Minji chimes in, then flashes a smirks at Siyeon's direction before she continues, "You don't know how much your stupid plan helped me out."

Yoohyeon looks at Minji like she grew another head. "That plan got us grounded. How the fuck could it have helped you?"

Minji throws her arm over Siyeon's shoulders, kisses the corner of her lips and chuckles when the gears start turning in her friend's heads. Siyeon's heart grows ten sizes bigger at the adorable sound.

"Well, it started when we were running away from Yoohyeon's cousin…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was it! I'm sorry for any mistakes and hope this was an enjoyable read!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! If you liked this fic please let me know! (and make sure to check out the other amazing fics from the fic fest!)
> 
> Scenes:  
> [Bora and Minji dancing together + Siyeon pining (until 0:53)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07J512O9D_Q)  
> [Singji on the bus (until 5:25)](https://youtu.be/Sd5XDInod6Q?t=244)  
> [Minji blocking Siyeon's face from the sun (until 15:16)](https://youtu.be/bsiOYfIveak?t=837)  
> [Jibo's iconic performance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm0ZH_UcJ8E)  
> [Singji running from Yoohyeon's crazy cousin (until 2:15)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5XDInod6Q)  
> [Singji sneaking out at night (until 2:15)](https://youtu.be/SDeyBNxISts?t=308)  
> \+ Siyeon's family situation in the beginning of the fic is inspired by Junghwan's family + a little by Sunwoo's, even though they're not 100% similar.
> 
> [Playlist with the mentioned songs](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY6EU3P6NOD6nxBItBXQNK1HOWkiJAKne)
> 
> Other references:  
> [Siyeon's beloved Mymy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xs8KyIjmB8&)  
> [A glimpse of their school (until 4:16)](https://youtu.be/w-XB0KYdsqk?t=194)  
> [Watch this if you want to get the feeling of their houses + friendships](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf7aK4NKf-k)


End file.
